


Unidentified Faceless

by Anonymous



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: "a little party never killed nobody", Fluff with a Sad Ending, Living Together Technically, M/M, Secret Identity, how much sarcasm is too much sarcasm?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 04:53:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30083739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: “Oh, is that so? Welcome in.” A flourishing gesture leading inside.The man on the doorstep looked taken aback at the words, empty hands tapping on his leg as if gauging the sanity of this. Cautious eyes scanned his invitation, but eventually accepted, toeing off his shoes and stepping inside.A snort from the invitee, “What? Make yourself at home, I assume you’re planning to stay a while.”
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6
Collections: Anonymous





	Unidentified Faceless

**Author's Note:**

> warnings (w/o spoilers): explosions
> 
> August 2020, this idea also manifested itself in a DM with [Mao](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miyawakii/pseuds/miyawakii) and months later this is the result pt 2.

“Oh, is that so? Welcome in.” A flourishing gesture leading inside. 

The man on the doorstep looked taken aback at the words, empty hands tapping on his leg as if gauging the sanity of this. Cautious eyes scanned his invitation, but eventually accepted, toeing off his shoes and stepping inside. 

The door shut behind them resoundingly but the guest didn’t move from his place on the doormat. A snort from the invitee, “What? Make yourself at home, I assume you’re planning to stay a while.” He gestured towards the spiral stairwell, “You can find a spare bedroom up the stairs and to the left of the hallway.”

“Do you always let strangers into your house?”

A shrug, “You’re not exactly a stranger though are you?”

“But do you even know who I am?”

“Not exactly, but I suppose you did just tell me why you’re here. Plus, assuming you found the right house which is pretty hard to miss considering the size, you know who I am and that’s enough for me. Isn’t that correct?”

The man nodded, “Takahiro Hanamaki, born January 27, 1995, born and raised in the Miyagi Prefecture. Currently unemployed, but a well once a respected public figure. Yes, you could say I know of you, just like anyone else in the media would.”

Hanamaki waved him off with a laugh, “You know me so well already, I’m flattered.”

A grunt, “It’s my job.”

“Well, we have time to talk later, if you really want an interview,” a joyous twirl on his heel, “But for now, it’s late. Go to sleep.”

“Why are you awake so late then?”

“You woke me up, of course.” A yawn to punctuate his point, “Good night, till tomorrow. I assume you will still be here. And since we’re going to spend some time together, how about you give me a name to call you?”

The guest stared at him, “I’m nobody important.”

“Then give me any name. Fake name if you must. Make up something fun for me. I can’t be going all this time calling you nothing can I?”

“Matsukawa. Call me that.” 

“Then I hope we have a wonderful time together, Matsukawa.”

⧔⧕

The very next morning, as predicted, Matsukawa was still there. He had survived the night, lovely. Though what wasn’t very nice was the fact he woke up the smell of coffee and yet there was only enough in the pot for one cup. One cup that was already drained and lying in the sink. 

“You used my coffee machine,” Hanamaki said pointedly.

“I’m so glad you can use your eyes for observation, because yes I did,” Matsukawa replied sarcastically, leaning against the counter like he belonged there. “And what are you going to do about it? Take the coffee from my stomach?”

He rolled his eyes and slotted some break in the toaster, “Make my own coffee, jerk.”

“Boring.”

“I recall you saying you had a different reason for being here, besides annoying me. So how about you get to that? Like you know?” An eyebrow raise as he looked at the kitchen knives. “Just think about it, a nice dinner, don’t you think?”

An eye roll. “Nah. It’s hardly brunch time and you’re already considering dinner?”

“I suppose it is a tad early, after all you just arrived and I haven’t even shown you the entire place yet. How rude of me.” Hanamaki mused, a look of fake remorse in his eyes that made it clear he didn’t regret it at all. “It’s just been so long since a guest has been over, I must’ve been getting ahead of myself, especially since--”

Matsukawa cut him off, “Oh shut it. Show me around your ridiculously large mansion then. Yeah, no better way to show off your money, hm?”

Hanamaki waved it off, “Not my fault I was a largely publicized figure years back. Oh well, I’m about forgotten by now, ever since I moved out in the middle of nowhere. No one’s gone searching for me in years. But then you.”

A scoff, “ _ No one remembers you? _ Have you been living under a rock? That couldn’t be further from the truth. You can decline as many invitations to the public as you want, but you know they keep coming. Clearly people still remember you. And wanted you to know that.”

“You did do your research on me, didn’t you? Good job.”

Unamused, “Your toast is burning.”

“Holy fuck why did you just tell me that. You son of a bitch kept me distracted, burning my house is  _ not _ the way to go,” he yelped, throwing a towel over the toaster as the fire alarms began to beep, rather alarmingly as their names imply.

Matsukawa just grinned, “Dumbass.”

“Oh you little,” Hanamaki pointed accusingly, “Ruined my breakfast and coffee. House tour is delayed, shame on you. Absolutely evil gremlin sent from hell.”

After some consideration, “Sounds about right.” 

⧔⧕

Despite the very minor delay, they got around to the house tour. Correction, they procrastinated on that till the very next day, but same difference, same minor delay. “That’s um, just another bathroom or something. That door, I’m not sure really. Oh, that one I know, leads to nothing. I never furnished that room because I got bored, okay?”

“How is this a tour if you don’t know where anything is yourself?” Matsukawa pointed out, peeking his head into yet another empty room.

“Hey, I just wanted to get out of the city and go somewhere I could become a shut in. A random couple had this listed and I had the money, so I bought it. Lots of acres of land just for me. Which sounds lonelier than it is, I swear.”

A snort, “What a recluse. And for what reasons?”

“Eh? You don’t know?”

“No one knows except you,” Matsukawa pointed out, “The day you tried to basically vanish, you left no statement. Just up and vanished. And the only thing you left was an email address and phone number. Neither of which you answered anything, so not much of a point to give that information in the first place, hm?”

Hanamaki sighed, “I suppose. Ooh, that’s the indoor pool. It’s not been cleaned since, well whenever I moved here so I do not recommend swimming in there. Not that I recall you bringing any swim wear to begin with.”

“Yeah, I don’t plan to.”

“Great, and so coming to the end of our tour, is the balcony. This is somewhere I actually go, so don’t get so snarky on me immediately.”

Matsukawa just put his hands up innocently as Hanamaki pushed open the double doors. A gust of cool air blew into their faces. The balcony opened up to a vast view, hills of green loomed in the distance and was frankly the only thing that they could see for miles. Not a single sign of anyone else remotely close. It was so isolated from everything, only one gravel road leading up to the house, and where that path led on the other side was as good a question as any.

A deep inhale from Hanamaki as he walked right up to the railing, despite it being somewhere around the third floor (or something like that; he lost count). “So?” he asked, eyes crinkling at the sun hitting the side of his face.

“Nope.” And a crooked smile.

“Then I get the view all for myself. Didn’t know someone like you was afraid of heights. Guess everyone has their own little fears,” Hanamaki teased, yet eyes narrowing in challenge. “Wanna know my fears? Come get them.”

A snort, “Sheesh, what a drama queen. Fine, I’ll join you. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Matsukawa stepped forward, without a hint of hesitation and leaned backwards on the railing, right next to the other. “So?”

“I fear everything beyond these hills. But everything here? I trust.”

“Including me?”

Hanamaki rolled his eyes, “Most certainly you.”

⧔⧕

“You know, since you came all the way out here to extend this invitation, I think I might actually go to this party,” Hanamaki hummed, clicking through his emails. “I’ll appear once and they’ll shut up about me, isn’t that nice?”

“That requires you to step out of your mansion, think you can handle that?”

“Your sarcasm wounds me,” Hanamaki replied, just as sarcastically, “If I didn’t, wouldn’t all this be for waste. I mean, now I do also have a personal driver to take me there.”

A scowl, “I’m not your private chauffeur, mind you.”

“But you were assigned to me, correct?” A defeated nod. “So you’ll take me there, that’s finalized. Hurray!” He spun around in his chair for dramatic effect, jumping off right as it slid to a stop. He waltzed over to his bed, throwing himself on it with an oof.

“I think I look peaceful in my sleep,” he committed off handedly. 

“And I think you look stupid.” 

He propped himself up with his elbows and cooed, “Aw so you do watch me sleep.”

The light shut off for emphasis, “Whatever helps you rest easy at night. Now go the fuck to sleep before I make you shut up.”

“But one last thing,” Hanamaki sang, “My pillows are pretty plush, you know? Good for muffling sounds if you know what I mean.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, patting said pillows that bounced right back up as if to prove his point.

“As if, I can still hear you snore from the other room.”

A scandalized gasp, “I do not snore.” 

Matsukawa gave him a tilted look, “Really? How would you know? You live in an abandoned villa in the middle of nowhere. No one to tell you what to do so all you do is eat instant food every day. Of course no one’s told you that you fucking snore.”

“Point taken.”

“Now can we go to sleep? Or do you want a bedtime story.”

“Mind you,” Hanamaki retorted, “As you said, I’ve been living alone for so long, who needs a bedtime story from someone like you?” He crossed his arms defensively until an even better idea entered his head, “But since you brought it up, how about you tell me about this party you so dearly want me to attend.”

A deep sigh as the light was turned back on, “Stop bluffing, you know what it is. Rumor has it you still have connections in the city. Shady people, but you know, don’t you?” An innocent shrug, “Fine, it’s the same old, and I mean literally old people gathering and spilling wine. What did you expect me to know?”

“I feel they could do something new from time to time, you know? Like instead of fireworks, how about something flashier? Hm? Thoughts? Or instead of a giant building, it sounds fun to have it on like a blimp. And when it all goes inevitably wrong, we all float down back onto the ground and that’s where the party ends.”

An eyebrow raise, “You know, the blimp idea, I can get behind.”

“Exactly! You get me.”

“Great, now go the fuck to sleep.”

“Rude,” Hanamaki pouted, doing the exact opposite in fact, “So, if the party’s like next week or so, should we head over there early? Get a hotel or something? Or are you afraid of people associating me with you during that time?”

Another deep sigh mixed with a smidge of a yawn, “A hotel’s fine. It’s just a matter if you get recognized, not me. I know what I’m getting myself mixed in.”

“Got yourself mixed in with the wrong crowd then.”

“Pity I didn’t get much of a choice.”

⧔⧕

Four days till the party, and millions of rooms to use yet they were always basically in the same one. Which was a little weird at times, case and point when taking a bath.

Okay, weird out of context. It’s not like they were in there together. Well, they were in the same room. But no. So like Hanamaki forgot to bring a towel in so he hollered on the top of his lungs until the door creaked open and a pair of unamused eyes poked through the slit. And seeing as he was already drenched, of course Matsukawa had to bring it over.

“It’s a wonder how you survived so long yourself.”

Hanamaki reached to grab the towel, splashing some water on the other. “It’s not like I’m totally isolated, okay? You’re right, I keep in contact with some people, but they don’t know where I went either, hm. Guess you’re the first to know.”

“And you just spill everything to the first person you meet?”

“Okay fine, maybe I am a little lacking in social interaction for the last few years, so what? I don’t have anything to hide. No secrets to my success, blah blah.” Hanamaki mocked, waving around the bubbles in the bathtub with his hand, “Not like you would care anyway.”

Matsukawa shrugged, “True that.”

“Want to know something?”

“Not particularly.”

“Since you insist,” Hanamaki continued, though no one asked at all, “Everyone knows how I got well-known, but I’m just as much an outcast here compared to when I was put on that pedestal, so not much of a difference to me. Well, I’ve been waiting for you. Or someone like you to come into my life. After everything that’s happened in the past, I had nothing left to hold on.”

He laughed melancholically, sinking into the water until just his head peaked out, glancing at Matsukawa, “Hm, options?”

“No thanks, I will not join you as a matter of fact.”

“I’m just saying. Blow dryer’s to your left by the way.”

Matsukawa shook his head, half in annoyance and half in something akin to sympathy as he left, Hanamaki left sitting in the water until his fingers pruned up and felt like raisins. And when he got out, he checked the hair dryer and found it plugged into the wall socket.

An amused click of his tongue.

⧔⧕

The night before the party, they were driving down the roads, singing along to songs from a decade back. Matsukawa was on the wheel because Hanamaki shouldn’t be driving for obvious reasons since he never got his license renewed and also was not to be trusted with a car regardless. Not saying Matsukawa should be trusted with one either, but if they had any chance of getting to their destination, this was it.

But since it really was just the same old green grass for most of the journey, it was undoubtedly boring after a few hours of staring at the same thing. And Hanamaki was arguably a terrible shotgun passenger that kept pestering the driver about crossing bridges.

There weren’t even that many, but it was enough for Matsukawa to ask rhetorically, “You think the next gas station sells duct tape?”

“No clue, want to check?”

An exasperated sigh, “Forget it.”

After far too many complaints from both parties, they eventually got to the hotel. Somehow they got in undetected even with Hanamaki whining about having to wear shades and a hat indoors to hide his signature features like that pink hair. Dumb pink hair, Matsukawa emphasized. Either way, the deed was done, they settled in a room for two and that was it.

One night stay, nothing fancy, other than the room itself. Stupid rich people, Matsukawa complained yet again. 

“Hey, might as well enjoy it,” Hanamaki shot back, launching himself onto the bed. A satisfied sigh as he sunk into the blanket and rolled himself up like a burrito.

“Yeah, whatever,” Matsukawa said, waving the other off, “I’m going to order some food then.”

“Suit yourself.”

Alone at last, Hanamaki flipped onto his back and took out his phone. First thing’s first, he made sure all his plans were in order. After all, it’ll be a pity if he came out here for nothing. But then once that was settled, he found himself looking aimlessly at his home screen. For the first time in years, he considered opening social media. Well since he was all the way out here, just one check couldn’t hurt right? He tapped the app before he could back down. A blue loading screen popped up and after a quick second, his homepage.

A gulp as he switched to the notifications tab. There were too many things he’d missed. Too much to keep up with. Suffocating. This was a mistake, he concluded, throwing his phone across the room in frustration.

And that just so happened to be when Matsukawa walked back in with some food. “Hey, you’re not supposed to be killing  _ me, _ you know?”

Hanamaki propped himself up with his elbow, pasting on a smile, “Oopsies.” And then a plate of food was set on his nightstand. “Aw you brought me food, how romantic. Did you infuse it with your love and admiration for me?”

“You fucking wish.”

Tauntingly, “You don’t have the guts do you?”

Matsukawa glared at him as he ate his equal share of food, the fork sliding out of his mouth smoothly and stabbing itself into a piece of meat. “What are you insinuating?”

“I mean you’re afraid of the press and I know it. I’ve given you every chance at me.”

Another clank of the fork. “I’m not  _ afraid _ of the press. I’m simply  _ wary _ .”

“Your actions beg to differ. Prove it. Prove you aren’t afraid and come with me tomorrow. Be my escort all the way through.”

“Why would I do that?”

Hanamaki put down his plate, walking right up to Matsukawa. Smiling sweetly, he draped his body over the other’s shoulder, “You know that no matter what you do, tomorrow’s the day. Past that, there’s no more reason for you to follow me, so we might as well make the time last. Tomorrow is the day to make all those decisions. Think about it.”

Matsukawa shrugged his hand off, “Fine, I will.”

⧔⧕

Four minutes into the party and Hanamaki had already lost sight of his escort, likely not by accident. A deep sigh as people surrounded him, all pestering him with questions. “And this is why I didn’t want to come,” he muttered under his breath.

Even when he thought he found a corner for himself, someone would spot him and soon enough the whole crowd would come.

It was the same thing over and over. People dressed in black and white, questions questions and more questions. Where have you been? What have you been doing all this time? Why did you leave? Has anyone been in contact with you? Any updates? But instead of the dire need to answer them, to provide some insight into his life like before, he found no merit in doing so. 

There was already a person with all the answers.

He just shoved through the crowd, rather rudely, but it wasn’t his fault they were bothering him. Greedy little hands trying to hold onto him and sell his words.

That all ended tonight.

Suddenly, he caught a familiar figure in his peripheral vision. Frantically, he began wading in that direction, reaching one arm out in an attempt to grab onto the other and his other arm shoving more bodies out of his way. At last, he was in sight and Hanamaki gabbed something and yanked as hard as he could.

Yet he was pulled forward instead, being drawn behind Matsukawa until they reached a secluded area in the courtyard. 

“Thanks for the save, jerk,” Hanamaki sighed, plopping down on the grass despite knowing it’ll stain his clothes. It’s not like he’d wear them again. Too stiff.

“You’re very welcome.”

With some thought, Matsukawa joined him on the ground, sitting in front of him so their shoes just barely touched. For just a moment, they just looked into each other’s eyes, thinking about everything that had led up to this moment.

“I guess it’s a very precious thing, that side of yours.” 

A nod, “That side hm? The troubled side of me, you mean? The part that hates people?”

“Wonder how you hid it for so long and then all of sudden showed me all the dirty little secrets you had. Yeah, that side of you I suppose.”

Hanamaki pressed a finger to his lips, “Well then, it’s a secret only for you to know.”

A few more moments of silence. Hanamaki began to pull at blades of grass, counting each one in his head till his heartbeat evened out. Sensing he was ready, Matsukawa got up first, offering his hand out which Hanamaki readily accepted. Both brushed their clothes off with their free hand, grass raining down from Hanamaki’s suit from his nervous plucking.

“Shall we head back?”

“Stay with me this time,” Hanamaki insisted, eyes darting towards the time on his watch. “It’s about time you give me your last dance.” Matsukawa nodded after a second, letting himself be guided back towards the music.

Whispers began right as they stepped right in but they paid them no mind. Hanamaki’s feet were swept off the ground and his feet moved on their own accord. There was nothing beyond them, all he could see looking forward was his partner. And that was just perfect. 

Even as the music turned to alarms and whispers turned to screams, they continued to dance, the grip between their hands only tightening. The rumbling drowned out the background noise, leaving just the two of them in their little bubble. And finally, once most of the floor had cleared out and they had their privacy back, Matsukawa leaned in and whispered into Hanamaki’s right ear, “Why did you let me in that night?”

“Now you’re asking?” Hanamaki laughed, “Well, you told me clearly ‘I’m here to kill you, then myself’ and that was the most flattering thing I’ve heard all these years.”

Matsukawa hummed, letting him continue.

“I’ve been idolized so much that I hated it, but seeing you genuinely just out here to kill me, on orders or not, was refreshing to see just one person dedicated to me. Even if it meant my death, I was willing to accept that.”

“But why  _ me _ ?”

As much as he wanted to see the building falling apart beyond them, he kept his eyes steady on Matsukawa, “You were the first and the last. I was getting bitter all alone there and gave you every chance to end me. Right then and there, you could’ve shoved me off the balcony or poisoned my food. But you didn’t. At some point, I was envious of you, having such freedom living in the shadows.” A sidestep from a piece of falling rubble.

“So then, I’ll raise you,  _ why _ did you do this knowing I set up my contacts to rig the building? Why did you wrap yourself into my statement against this society?”

“You don’t give me much of an option.”

“You accepted my invitation for a dance.”

Matsukawa grinned lopsidedly, “You would’ve called me a coward if I didn’t.”

A deep sigh as he moved their feet to the center of the room, right where the blast would be. The blast just for the two of them, assuming everyone got out safely like he was promised. “So you knew this was a suicide mission?”

“At first, I wasn’t planning it to be. But seeing how you wanted it so badly, I wanted to make you wait for it. But then, living in the shadows without a home to go to is just as lonesome as a villa with one owner. Maybe at some point, I wanted to be you too. I hesitated to find a plan, but realized, I know you. Because of that, I waited for you to make the move.”

“Know me in just a couple weeks? Not even that many.”

Matsukawa’s turn to smile, “I know you because you are like me: waiting for death.”

He held the other down in his grip. “Now that I’m taking you with me, you’re just accepting it? No regrets? Last words for this bitter world?”

“I took this job knowing the risks. There was no better person to take this than someone with no identity." A sigh, "I don't have any more words for this world that has done you dirty. Though I’m glad I got to let someone know that before it all ends. What about you?”

“At least, I got the chance to fall again.”

Matsukawa's features softened at that, continuing the steps to the dance as the building flashed. A low rumble shook their feet. Sooner or later, there would be a news report of two bodies caught up in the accident. One unidentified man with no further identity, and one well-known figure that just happened to be there. What a strange pair. What a fitting pair of two.

_ How dreary it must be to be somebody. How dreary it must be to be nobody. _

**Author's Note:**

> Last line is a reference to "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" Poem by Emily Dickinson. Tl;dr for this fic is that "Matsukawa" is nobody in the sense he's an assassin with no real identity and Hanamaki was somebody once. And they're both sarcastic fuckers who just love to tease the other into their plans. 
> 
> Title's a reference to a character from the mobile game Chain Chronicle...
> 
> This is more the "fluff with a sad ending" in my alley. Though the building was supposed to fall with everyone, I um saved them all *slow clap* thanks I know. Can't believe these wips are finally done orz. That's it, I'll stop haunting this ship now bye.


End file.
